'You About to Lose Yo Job': The Story Behind the Viral Hit Featuring Biden, Obama, and Other Dancing Dems

By now, you've undoubtedly seen the video on social media or even being referenced on Saturday Night Live: Joe Biden is standing at a podium, and he pulls out his phone to play something. The music comes on with the repeated phrase: "You About to Lose Yo Job." The president-elect begins bobbing his head, before the screen cuts to Barack Obama, who seemingly arises from the front row and begins to dance. Then we see others dancing along to the song--Kamala Harris, the late John Lewis, Michelle Obama, Marianne Williamson, even Bernie Sanders pops in with a jovial clap.

The video, of course, is a celebration of the Democrats celebrating Donald Trump losing his job. But just as obvious is the fact that the clip was carefully stitched together prior to the election. The scenes look drastically different, and Lewis passed away in July. No matter, the sentiment struck a chord, and it's been shared all over the internet. Many of those sharing it, though, either don't know who made this madcap clip, or they have no interest in crediting the creator.

Filmmaker Alex Gibney, Mark Ruffalo, and Stevie Van Zandt of E Street Band fame all posted the clip. Among the rest of the many well-known social media users who shared the viral spoof, How to Be an Antiracist author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi was one of the few who credited the source by posting the original video from "Teri in New York."

Here is the original, posted on November 5 and already everywhere once news that the election was called for Biden the next day.

While "Teri in New York" put together the video, the song's roots go back much further. DJ Suede and DJ iMarkkeyz are responsible for the months-old mix used in Teri's Democrats dance-along. (DJ iMarkkeyz also made the "Coronavirus Remix," a chart-topping song inspired by a Cardi B video.) But there are other versions of the track, including a popular remix by the producer Eklektik, whose version is stylized as "You About to Lose Your Job." (Suede and iMarkkeyz's is written as "Lose Yo Job.")

But the true originator, or at least the inspiration behind the song is Johnniqua Charles. Earlier this year, in the pre-pandemic month of February, Charles tried to reenter a strip club South Carolina after realizing she had left her purse inside. But instead of making it back inside, she was detained by a club security guard. After the two argued, Charles found herself in handcuffs. That's when she ad-libbed singing "Lose Yo Job." With a cell phone recording the action, Charles began dancing and continued singing "you about to lose your job" over and over. By June, it was a viral sensation with several remixes shared all over social media, and Charles started going by "loseyojobgirl" on Instagram.

During the Black Lives Matters protests this summer, the song/chant even became a popular anthem directed at police.

This weekend, Teri's video of the song reached a large peak rather quickly when Saturday Night Live worked the meme into its cold open when Jim Carrey and Maya Rudolph (as Biden and Harris) break out into dance with the tune playing.

Here is the original clip from Charles, which she recently re-shared on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Teri is still trying to get credit for her contribution. After MSNBC referenced the video, she wrote on Twitter: "It's so shady. It was my concept. I curated each clip, I spent the hours meticulously making sure every clap was on beat. Now everyone else is using my edit to put in their own song."